Vita Brevis: A Crime Novel of the Roman Empire

Medicus, Book 7

By: Ruth Downie

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Ruso and Tilla's excitement at arriving in Rome with their new baby daughter is soon dulled by their discovery that the grand facades of polished marble mask an underworld of corrupt landlords and vermin-infested tenements. There are also far too many doctors - some skilled - but others positively dangerous.

Ruso thinks that he has been offered a reputable medical practice only to find that his predecessor, Doctor Kleitos, has fled, leaving a dead man in a barrel on the doorstep and the warning "be careful who you trust." Distracted by the body and his efforts to help a friend win the hand of a rich young heiress, Ruso makes a grave mistake, causing him to question both his competence and his integrity.

With Ruso's reputation under threat, he and Tilla must protect their small family from Doctor Kleitos' debt collectors and find allies in their new home while they track down the vanished doctor and find out the truth about the heiress' dead father - Ruso's patient - and the unfortunate man in the barrel.

©2016 Ruth Downie (P)2016 Tantor

Another step into a real feeling Rome

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Ruth Dqwnie has once again shown us a very real feeling experience of life in the human world of ancient Rome. Here you will see a version of ancient people that shows that technology changes but people and how the relate to each other stay much the same. This book will take you to the side of Rome, the capital of the world, where common people live lives of drama that will not show in the writings of the great latin authors but still rings true. The real Rome would have had to operate much as this book shows because even Rome has to provide a living for the common people.

AWESOME

absolutely brilliant. Loved the story Simon Vance is trully amazing, Ruth Downie never dissapoints

A HERO IS NOT ALWAYS THE WARRIOR

Ruth Downie’s seventh novel Vita Brevis brings a glimpse of Hadrianic Rome and is a wonderful addition to the Medicus series. Ruso and Tilla make great and likeable hero's worth revisiting. Simon Vance is an outstanding narrator. Ruth Downie does a great job mixing her stories with historical events making them real for the reader. If you have enjoyed the previous stories in the series, this one is worth the credit. If you have not tried any of these books, and like believable period historical fiction, with a bit of mystery and detective work, try reading Medicus.

The series gets better and better.

Set in Rome this time around, it seemed it would be difficult to be as good as all the stories set in Britannia. As good or better. If you haven't read any of this series, you probably could start with this one or any other and enjoy it but you may as well go back to the first book and start there. If you enjoy that one, you'll enjoy them all and each will be that much better for the back story. And then, like me, you'll get to the point I'm at now; trying to be patient as Ms. Downie works her charm and skill into the next book.

Thoroughly enjoyable

This latest entry in the Medicus series was a very enjoyable read. And Simon Vance, as the narrator did a sterling job.
This time both Ruso and his British wife, Tilla are struggling badly to find a place in Rome, and when his ex-commander finds him a fill-in position as a doctor, nothing goes right from the very start. As usual, they're both very quickly involved in a number of mysteries.
It's great watching the growing strength of their relationship and poor Tilla, struggling in vain, to be a "proper" Roman wife.
Great fun to read.

Sheer delight

I don’t think I can add anything to the other rave reviews for this book and the series. I just love them and am already trying to figure out how to deal with the “withdrawal symptoms” after I listen to Book 8, the last one, hopefully a temporary situation. This episode was even better than some of the others, and I loved every one.

Enjoy this wonderful tale

I enjoyed this book as much of all the other Medicus takes and I hope you do too

Another great Roman murder mystery.

Ms. Downie just keeps getting better. What a wild ride through the eternal city of Rome. she brings the ancients to life.

Another Delightful Installment

It has become a fall tradition for me to listen to the latest installment in this series. The series is not particularly deep. In some ways, this is almost a "light-hearted" murder mystery series, if such a thing is possible. There is always a dose of humor and the characters are very easy to relate to, despite being set 2000 years in the past. The stories always follow the same pattern--the heroes unwittingly find themselves caught up in a murder mystery that somehow place them in jeopardy that they always manage to find a way of escaping while solving the mystery. Again, these aren't deep, but they are fun and relaxing. The narration is excellent--Simon Vance is by far one of the best narrators.

Outstanding: Can't Wait for Next Book in Series

What did you love best about Vita Brevis: A Crime Novel of the Roman Empire?

Each story gets better and better. Exacting detail of life in Rome portrayed with humanity. Same universal emotions of love for family, fear, anxiety, economic survival, and pleas to higher source.

What does Simon Vance bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Simon Vance is superb. His voicings of each character give a reality to the storyline that surpasses what could be achieved with the written word. The man is a unique talent and I thank him for the hours of entertainment he provides whatever the novel.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Couldn't turn the recording off. Addictive and reliable source of great enjoyment.